L-3 Platform Integration Signs Lease to Become First Resident Partner at Baylor Research and Innovation Collaborative (BRIC)

WACO, Texas (June 10, 2013) - Officials at L-3 Platform Integration in Waco and Baylor University announced today the signing of a lease agreement to occupy 3,200 square feet of industrial space at the Baylor Research and Innovation Collaborative (BRIC) discovery park. L-3 Platform Integration will staff its new lease space in the BRIC with engineers who are already working directly with Baylor faculty researchers.

"Since our team's first visit to the BRIC site in 2011, it was evident it could be an ideal venue for L-3 and Baylor to pursue a variety of research collaborations," said Nick Farah, executive vice president of L-3 Platform Systems, which includes the L-3 Platform Integration division. "We are committed to the concept of developing efficient, cutting-edge technologies and the BRIC provides an ideal environment to accomplish these goals."

L-3 Platform Integration sponsors two research collaborations with Baylor's School of Engineering and Computer Sciences. The first project, initiated two years ago, was established to develop processes for the analysis of advanced aerospace composite materials. L-3 Platform Integration and Baylor plan to commercialize the invention jointly once certified for aircraft use.

The second L-3 Platform Integration and Baylor research collaboration, which began in January 2013, focuses on advanced technologies for aircraft communications systems.

"We are extremely pleased to welcome L-3 as our first industry research collaborator resident within the BRIC. Under Nick Farah's thoughtful guidance, Baylor's collaborations with L-3 have already yielded successful research experiences for our students and faculty, while at the same time providing efficient tools and processes for use in industry," said Dr. Truell Hyde, Baylor University vice provost for research.

"The L-3/Baylor partnership is a perfect example of how the BRIC provides an entirely new paradigm for incorporating university research and industrial collaboration. This combination will increasingly provide opportunities for both the university and our regional stakeholders, translating into economic gains for the region," he added.

Jim Kephart, director of program development for the Baylor Advanced Research Institute (BARI), stated, "The L-3 Platform Integration engineering presence in the BRIC is a major step forward in the long-standing relationship between L-3 engineers and Baylor researchers. From an economic development perspective, the partnership demonstrates how regional stakeholders and the university jointly benefit from the BRIC."

Industry representatives interested in collaboration can contact the Baylor University office of the vice provost for research or visit http://www.baylor.edu/bric for more information.

ABOUT L-3 PLATFORM INTEGRATION

L-3 Platform Integration is a large-scale systems integration organization known internationally for its design, integration and flight science engineering expertise. The company provides complex aircraft modernization, sustainment and modification services for military and commercial customers. L-3 Platform Integration leverages a workforce of highly skilled artisans and engineers in disciplines that include the full range of aeronautical flight sciences and mechanical and electrical engineering, as well as highly skilled aviation technicians. L-3 Platform Integration has modified hundreds of fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft of virtually all types - from single-engine turboprop aircraft to helicopters to jets of all sizes. It integrates state-of-the-art technology on military and commercial platforms for U.S. and international customers. This includes performing avionics modernization and upgrades to mission systems; command, control and communications systems; and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems. L-3 Platform Integration also provides luxurious interiors and self-protection systems on large aircraft for Head-of-State and VIP customers and integration services for major propulsion manufacturers.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian university and a nationally ranked research institution, characterized as having "high research activity" by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The university provides a vibrant campus community for approximately 15,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating university in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 11 nationally recognized academic divisions. Baylor sponsors 19 varsity athletic teams and is a founding member of the Big 12 Conference.

ABOUT BRIC

The BRIC fosters and encourages interdisciplinary research, industrial partnerships, international collaborations, advanced workforce training and development, and innovative business support. Within a facility that is at once architecturally appealing, functionally focused, environmentally friendly and conveniently located to all modes of commercial land-based and airborne transport, the BRIC provides researchers, industry/business clients, and regional institutions and organizations with over 330,000 square feet of space designed and appointed for: laboratories, prototyping and testing, offices and workspace, workforce training, business formation and development activities, and meeting/symposium halls.

Baylor researchers began occupying the BRIC in January of 2013. Within the BRIC, industry/university collaborations are fostered through Jim Kephart, director of program development for the Baylor Advanced Research Institute (BARI). BARI acts as the single point of access to the BRIC, working closely with industry/business leaders to facilitate Baylor/industry research collaborations benefiting both the university and the partner. As research projects mature, BARI can also provide ongoing assessment of the commercialization potential of new technology and assist with intellectual property protection, product marketing and licensing to interested parties. When BRIC technologies are linked to new business start-ups or if national/international industry partners require assistance, LAUNCH, the Baylor Hankamer School of Business innovative business accelerator located at the BRIC, can provide a variety of additional services and programs to help ensure business success.

For more information, please contact the Baylor University office of the vice provost for research or visit http://www.baylor.edu/bric.